The biggest flop isn't Adipurush or Shaan; it's another film that was so unsuccessful that its director decided to leave the film industry forever.
Many Indian films have held the title of the 'most expensive' at different times. Unfortunately, most of these movies didn't do well at the box office. While some films like Mother India, Sholay, and Devdas were big hits, many others were major flops.
Interestingly, the biggest flop isn't Adipurush or Shaan; it's another film that was so unsuccessful that its director decided to leave the film industry forever.
1. Taj Mahal
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The 2005 film Taj Mahal: An Eternal Love Story was a retelling of the romance between Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal. Directed by Akbar Khan, it had a huge budget of Rs 50 crore, making it the most expensive Indian film at that time, surpassing Devdas and The Hero.
2. Budget
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The budget was used to create grand sets, elaborate battle scenes, and to assemble a large cast, which included Kabir Bedi, Sonya Jehan, Manisha Koirala, Arbaaz Khan, Vaquar Shaikh, Rahil Azam, and Pooja Batra. The film was also released in Pakistan and featured music by the legendary composer Naushad, which was his final work before he passed away.
3. Box office earnings
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Taj Mahal performed well in Pakistan and a few international markets, with overseas earnings exceeding $2 million (Rs 10 crore). However, due to its high production costs, this amount was insufficient. In India, the film was a major flop, earning only Rs 21 crore. For comparison, The Hero earned Rs 35 crore and Devdas made over Rs 50 crore in India. Despite this, even with global earnings of Rs 31 crore, Taj Mahal barely managed to cover its costs and fell far short of expectations.
4. Director was younger brother of Feroz Khan
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Akbar Khan, the younger brother of Feroz Khan and Sanjay Khan, began his career as an actor in the 70s and 80s before transitioning to directing with the 1983 film Haadsaa. He later directed episodes for two TV shows: Akbar The Great and The Sword of Tipu Sultan.
5. Director tried to...
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He also faced financial losses due to the failure of Taj Mahal: An Eternal Love Story. Reports indicate that he tried to compensate some of the losses for the distributors, which further strained his finances. Taj Mahal was his second film as a director and his first in 14 years. Unfortunately, the film's failure led to it being his last directorial project. Akbar Khan retired from filmmaking and never directed another film or TV show.
